


Three Rebels and a Cyberman

by SpiritAlpha



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Episode AU: s12e10 The Timeless Children, Family Dynamics, Protective Doctor (Doctor Who), Protective Master
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23215102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritAlpha/pseuds/SpiritAlpha
Summary: The Doctor has enough to deal with: the Master allying with the Cyberman and her friends in danger from them. The last thing she needs is for her granddaughter to turn up on Gallifrey as well.
Relationships: Susan Foreman & The Master, Thirteenth Doctor & Susan Foreman, Thirteenth Doctor & The Master (Dhawan), Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	Three Rebels and a Cyberman

Far from the Citadel, and a few feet away from the Boundary, another purple portal opened. Susan Campbell stumbled out, looking around at the destroyed ruins of Gallifrey.

 _What happened here?_ she thought.

She searched for the Doctor's telepathic signature and found it in the Citadel. Just on the off chance, she looked for other psychic signatures and found them in the form of the Master and seven humans - three of whom were surrounded with artron energy.

Susan made her way towards the Citadel and came across the group of humans. One of the Doctor's current companions, an older male, saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hello." Susan greeted them, putting her hands up. "It's ok. I'm a friend of the Doctor's."

"Really?" The man asked. The other humans had also turned around to look at her. "Because the last two friends of the Doc's who we met, one was evil and the other had stolen a spaceship and snogged me thinking I was her."

"The Doctor's regenerated?" Susan asked, noticing the change in pronouns. The man nodded. She laughed. "Typical. Every time I see them, they've regenerated." The young woman beside him stepped forward.

"You know about regeneration?" she asked, studying Susan carefully. Susan guessed that she was probably law enforcement.

"Yes, I do," replied Susan, nodding. "And I know that the three of you are her current...companions? Assistants? What does she call you?"

"We're her friends." The young man next to the woman said. "Or 'fam', although that's on and off. How did you know that we travel with her?"

"Three 21st century humans surrounded with artron energy," Susan replied. "Who else would you be?" She looked at the other four humans. "You look like you've been through a war."

"The Great Cyber-War." The woman said, stepping forward. "In the far future, in the immediate aftermath, the Cybermen were hunting down and wiping out the majority of the human race."

"I fought in the second Dalek invasion of Earth in the 22nd century," Susan said. The two of them nodded at each other in solidarity. "I'm Susan Campbell."

"Graham O'Brien." The older man from the TARDIS said. "This is Yasmin Khan, Yaz, and Ryan Sinclair, my grandson."

 _Making up for abandoning me, Grandmother?_ Susan thought to herself.

"I'm Ravio." The woman from the future said. "This is Ethan, Yedlarmi and Ko Sharmus." 

"Hello," Susan said. "We need to go and find the Doctor. The Master's also here. I can sense him."

"Sense him?" Ryan asked.

"I'm telepathic," she replied, then noticed his, Graham and Yaz's body language. "You've met the Master, I take it?"

"He tried to kill by trapping us on a crashing plane," Yaz said. Susan headed off towards the Citadel and the humans followed her.

"Of course he did," Susan replied, rolling her eyes. "He tried to kill me once. Emphasis on tried because I killed him back which, of course, he survived. Does anyone know what happened here?" Everyone looked at her.

"No idea," Graham replied. "But it explains why the Doc's been morose lately." Susan giggled.

"I can't believe she lets you call her Doc!" she exclaimed. "When I first met him, he _hated_ being called that. What does she look like? No, don't tell me. I'll know her when I see her. I'll know both of them." She looked up at the Cyber ship above the Citadel. "Don't tell me the Master called the Cybermen here?" she said, talking more to herself than the others. "Gallifrey's already been destroyed. What more damage could the Cybermen do? Then again, given the Master's track record, he's probably going to end up betraying the Cybermen or be betrayed by them."

"How do you know what planet this is?" Yaz asked, suspiciously. Susan mentally cursed. She had been deliberately leaving out her species and her relation to the Doctor.

"I've known the Doctor longer than you have," she replied. It was true, after all.

"For as long as the Master has known her?" Ryan asked. "He said he was her best enemy and that they go way, way back."

"That's one way of describing their relationship," replied Susan. "I haven't known her for as long as the Master has, but I have known her for a long time." That seemed to satisfy them.

"If the Cybermen are here, then that means that the Lone Cyberman is also here." Ko Sharmus said.

"The Lone Cyberman?"

"The leader of the Cybermen," he explained. 

"He brought them all back just now," Ravio said. Susan sighed.

"Oh well," she said. "I've fought countless numbers of Daleks. One Cyberman won't be a problem."

* * *

In the Citadel, the Master watched the Doctor as she was trapped in the Matrix. Ashad and his army of Cybermen were roaming around Gallifrey and he could sense that the humans had arrived through the Boundary.

Then someone else turned up. Someone he hadn't seen since the Time War.

 _What's going on?_ The Doctor asked him inside the Matrix.

"It's none of your concern," he told her. "Just a minor hiccup."

 _What's going on?_ she repeated. _You know I'm not going to stop asking until you tell me._ He sighed.

"It seems that your _spawn_ has ended up here on Gallifrey," he said.

" _What_?" The Doctor asked, forcing herself awake in the cage. The Master wasn't surprised. He knew how protective she was of her granddaughter. He walked up to her.

"It's nothing to do with me, Doctor. I assure you," he told her, his voice taking on a gentle tone. "I know you probably don't believe me, but I would never do anything to hurt her." The Doctor stared into his eyes silently.

"I believe you," she replied. "Go and find her. Keep her safe."

"I'll do that." The Master replied. "But you need to go back into the Matrix. I'm not done with you yet."

"I'm trusting you not to bring any harm to her _or_ anyone else." The Doctor said. He smiled.

"My dear Doctor, you just said that you believed me and told me to keep her safe," he said. "Besides, she can take care of herself." He blew her a kiss, making her fall unconscious again before running off to find Susan.

* * *

Susan, Graham, Yaz, Ryan, Ravio, Ethan, Yedlarmi and Ko Sharmus had arrived at the Citadel and were walking around, trying to find the Doctor when Susan suddenly stopped and perked up, hearing a metallic sound in the distance that gradually got closer.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Ravio asked.

"That metallic sound, like an army marching," Susan replied. The humans all looked at her in confusion. "No? Just me? It must be in the background then." Everyone tensed as they heard metallic marching approaching them.

"Is that what you heard?" Graham asked.

"No, what I heard was different," said Susan. "But that can't be good."

The humans tensed and Susan stood in front of them as the Lone Cyberman rounded the corner and came towards them. He stopped in front of her and the two of them stared at each other.

"The Lone Cyberman, I presume," she said.

"Yes," he replied. "Who are you?"

"Susan Campbell. If you want the humans, you'll have to get past me."

He continued to stare at her and, not considering her a threat, grabbed her by the throat. She tried to pull his hand away and continued to stare at him, grateful for her respiratory bypass system.

"You're not human."

"No," she said. "That means you can't convert me."

"ASHAD!"

Everyone looked behind the Lone Cyberman to see who Susan immediately knew to be the Master. He had regenerated again; this version was a dark-skinned, dark-haired man wearing an all-purple outfit. In his hand, he was holding the TCE which he was pointing at Ashad.

"Let her go." The Master told him, firmly. Ashad turned to glare at him, still holding onto Susan. "I _said_ , let. Her. Go."

"You care about her," Ashad said.

"Yes, I do." The Master admitted. "And if you don't let her go, then I will make you." He laughed. "Well, that's if you survive her first."

Ashad looked back at Susan who quickly put her hand against his face and sent a strong wave of psychic energy into his mind. He roared and let go of her. The Master quickly ran over and caught hold of her, keeping her steady.

"Are you ok, little one?" The Master asked her, gently.

"I'm fine, Uncle," Susan replied. They both looked around as Ashad made his way over to them. The Master moved her behind him and glared at Ashad, clutching his TCE in his hand.

"She is off-limits." The Master told him. "Do you understand? _Off-limits_!"

"You said to go after the humans," Ashad said. "You said nothing about non-humans." The Master narrowed his eyes.

"Susan dear..."

"No, Uncle, I did not tell him what species I am," she replied. "All he knows is that I'm not human and that he can't convert me." Ashad took a step closer to them.

"Stop right there!" The Master exclaimed, knowing exactly what Ashad was going to say. "You are _not_ using her as bait for the Doctor...or me. If you want her, you'll have to get past me."

Ashad made a move towards them, but the Master quickly darted forward and started pummelling him to a pulp.

"HOW DARE YOU!" The Master shouted at him. He knew that Ashad had no idea what he was talking about, but he didn't care. "SUSAN CAMPBELL IS OFF-LIMITS!"

"You mentioned that," Ashad commented, in between punches.

The Master continued to hit him and started yelling in Gallifreyan. Susan kept the humans away from his outburst. Eventually, Ashad lay unconscious and the Master turned around to face them. Susan slowly moved forward.

"Uncle?" she asked, gently. The tension in his body started to subside and he strode over to her, pulling her into a hug.

 _Contact._ she said.

 _Contact._ he replied. _I'm sorry you had to see that, little one._

 _This version of you has anger management issues._ she said. He chuckled. _And is touch starved._ She tightened her hug.

 _What a lovely contrast to your grandmother, who is touch averse and keeps her emotions locked away._ The Master replied. They looked at each other and he spoke out loud. "By the way, my TCE is kept in my jacket pocket." He showed her where and smiled. "Just in case you feel like stealing it again."

"Well, you already survived me shooting you with it once so I don't think it will make much difference," Susan replied, smiling back. "But thank you, Uncle."

"He's your uncle?" Ryan asked. Susan and the Master looked at the group of humans.

"Ah yes, the humans." The Master said. "I forgot you were here."

"No, you didn't," Susan replied. She turned to Ryan. "He's my godfather."

"Where's the Doctor?" Yaz asked.

"She's still alive, don't worry." The Master replied. "She's currently preoccupied." He looked at Susan. "She told me to come and find you and keep you safe." Susan stood back and put her hands on her hips.

"Define preoccupied," she said. He sent her an image of the Doctor, unconscious and trapped in the paralytic cage. "Ok. Do I even want to know?"

"It's a long story," he replied. He held his hand out to her. "Come on. I'll take you to her." Susan looked at him, then took his hand.

"What about the humans?" she asked. He looked at the group of humans then back at her and sighed.

"Fine. The humans can also come." He looked at them again. "The only reason I am even considering keeping you safe is that Susan is here. Otherwise, I couldn't care less about you."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?" Graham asked.

"Coming from him, that _is_ reassuring," Susan replied.

* * *

"See, Susan?" The Master asked as they walked into the Matrix chamber. "I told you she was fine." 

Susan let go of the Master's hand and ran forward, closely followed by Graham, Yaz and Ryan, to where the Doctor was lying unconscious on a platform. She and the Master knelt down either side of her.

"She must have broken out of the Matrix." The Master said. "Typical!" He pulled the Doctor up and held her in his arms as she started to stir. "Hello, Doctor."

"You son of a bitch." The Doctor muttered. He laughed. 

"All caught up, are we, Doctor?" She glared at him. "I'll take that as a yes." She nodded to Susan. "Look who I found." The Doctor turned her head and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Susan!" she exclaimed, in relief. Susan smiled.

"Hello, Grandmother," she replied. The Doctor threw her arms around her and hugged her close. The Master stayed close to them, blocking their embrace from the view of the humans. The Doctor pulled back and looked at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Exactly what I was wondering." The Master agreed.

"I don't know," Susan replied. "A portal opened up in 23rd century London and brought me here." The Doctor looked at the Master, who raised his hands.

"I already told you, it's got nothing to do with me," he said.

"I believe you." The Doctor replied. "You'd have to be pretty desperate to put Susan in danger."

"Yes, you would have to be pretty desperate to do that, Master." Susan agreed. The Master looked at her.

"You're not still angry about that, are you?" he asked.

"I've had time to get over it, but I'm still angry about it, yes," she replied. She leant over and hit him on the arm.

"Ow," he said, pretending to be hurt. The Doctor looked between them. 

"What happened?" she asked. Susan and the Master looked at her then at each other.

"You didn't tell her?" The Master asked.

"No, because I got into trouble and dealt with it myself," Susan replied. "You didn't tell her?"

"No." he replied.

"Koschei, Arkytior." The Doctor said, causing both of them to look at her. "What happened?"

"Have you ever wondered how I ended up in my crispy state on Tersurus?" he asked. The Doctor frowned.

"Actually, yes," she replied. "How did you end up like that?"

"Your granddaughter telepathically fried my mind then shot me with the TCE before leaving me for dead on Tersurus," he explained. The Doctor looked from him to Susan and then, for the first time since meeting him, laughed hard. 

"What the hell did you do to piss her off that much?" The Doctor asked. She knew how strong a telepath Susan was, but to cause the Master to go into a decayed state?

"He killed David," Susan replied. "Right in front of me." The Doctor stopped laughing.

"Oh, so that's how David died," she said. "Yeah, that'll do it. You always did care about people a lot." The Master nodded in agreement.

The Doctor went to stand up, but she was still recovering from the paralysis so Susan and the Master helped her up. The Doctor hugged them both and soon they all ended up in a big group hug, their past confrontations, and the humans, temporarily forgotten. They looked up as Graham cleared his throat.

"My fam!" The Doctor exclaimed happily, grinning as she moved over to him, Yaz and Ryan. She hugged them. They were visibly shocked by it.

"Who are you and what have you done with the Doctor?" Ryan asked, jokingly.

"I'm right here!" she replied. The Master leaned over to Susan.

"This Doctor doesn't like having physical affection with people," he explained. 

"She seems fine with it now," Susan replied.

"It's probably your presence here," he said. Susan nodded in agreement. The Doctor started to stumble again.

"Are you going to collapse again?" Yaz asked.

"No." The Doctor replied.

"Yes." Susan and the Master said, rushing forward to catch hold of her. Graham, Yaz and Ryan were cautious about him being near her, but the Doctor assured them that it was fine.

"We've formed a temporary truce," she said.

"Doc, he tried to kill you," said Graham. "And us."

"He's always trying to kill me." The Doctor replied. "It's our flirting."

" _That's_ flirting?" Ryan asked.

"Besides." The Master said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "How else would I get her attention?" Graham, Yaz and Ryan were weirded out while Susan just sighed.

"There's a time and a place for flirting, you know," she said.

"You were married!" The Doctor pointed out.

"David and I never flirted this much, we were too busy focusing on rebuilding London after the Dalek invasion." Susan reminded her. "Besides, Grandmother, who was it who asked me how David and I managed to make Alex?"

"That was a completely logical question!" The Doctor replied. "David was human, you're Gallifreyan." _Well, sort of._ she thought, remembering the recently unlocked memories. Susan noticed her hesitation.

"What's going on, Grandmother?" she asked.

"I'm fine." The Doctor replied.

"It's not fine, Doctor." The Master replied. Graham, Yaz and Ryan were surprised at how soft and caring his voice was. He didn't even need to look at them when he explained. "The Doctor is one of the few people in the universe who I care about."

"How can you care about someone who you keep threatening?" Yaz asked. The Master looked at her.

"Our relationship is beyond your human understanding," he said.

"Stop it!" The Doctor and Susan told him.

"They're just worried about her," Susan said. "You insulting them isn't going to help matters."

"What else am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"Not insult the humans!" she replied. "Go and flirt with Grandmother. At least I'm used to that."

"Sorry, you keep saying Grandmother," Graham said. "Are you talking about the Doc?"

"Yep," Susan replied, seeing the confused looks on their faces. "I know. She doesn't look old enough. These two are two generations older than me, but don't look it because _they keep regenerating_!"

"I can't help it." The Doctor replied, looking at her. She switched to Gallifreyan. " _I'm immortal. I can't die. Ever. I'll just keep endlessly regenerating._ " Susan looked at her in confusion.

" _What do you mean?_ " she replied, also in Gallifreyan. The Doctor sighed, turning to the Master and switching back to Earth English.

"Master, keep an eye on the humans." The Doctor said. "Make sure that we're well-guarded from the Cybermen." She turned to Susan. "Susan, I need to tell you what's happening."

* * *

The Doctor and Susan went off to the side of the room and sat down on the floor opposite each other.

"This is quite traumatic." The Doctor warned her.

"I can handle it, Grandmother," Susan replied. The Doctor nodded. She took Susan's hands and they rested their foreheads against each other.

The Doctor then took her through all of the memories and explanation that the Master had shown her. Susan stayed quiet throughout, sensing that her grandmother needed to let it all out.

When the story had finished, the Doctor let out a breath and the two of them looked at each other. Susan threw her arms around her and gave her a hug. The two of them stayed there silently. Then Susan suddenly looked up.

"Typical," she said. "We have a nice character moment and then the Lone Cyberman turns up!" The Doctor tilted her head and listened.

"Oh, you mean that metallic marching sound?" she asked. Susan nodded. "It looks like the Master is sensing it too." Susan looked around and saw the Master looking towards the door with a frown. The Doctor and Susan stood up and went over to him.

"Ashad somehow survived me beating him to a pulp." The Master said.

"Why?" The Doctor asked. "What did he do?"

"He was threatening your granddaughter, that's what he was doing." The Master replied.

The three of them stood on the podium in the centre of the room, the Doctor and the Master standing protectively either side of Susan, and the Doctor gestured for the humans to move away from the door as Ashad walked in.

"Doctor. Master." Ashad greeted them.

"Ashad." The Doctor and the Master greeted him, the Doctor walking forward while the Master kept an eye on Susan.

"Get off this planet." The Doctor told him. "The Time Lords have been destroyed. There is nothing else you can do. Besides." She gestured with her head to the Master behind her. "He's already betrayed you. To be honest, it was only a matter of time before you or he betrayed the other. That always happens when he forms an alliance with another species." She looked over to the humans. "Don't worry. That doesn't mean that he's going to betray us." She turned back to Ashad. "Take your Cybermen, go off in your warship and settle on another planet somewhere in the universe. Somewhere where you don't have to murder people." Ashad moved closer to the Doctor, but the Master quickly stepped forward and blocked his path whilst glaring at him.

 _What are you doing?_ The Doctor asked him.

 _You're still recovering, Doctor._ he replied.

 _I was trapped in a confessional dial and tortured for four and a half billion years!_ she told him. _This is nothing compared to that!_

 _As I understand it, you shot the General, causing him to regenerate, exiled Rassilon and the rest of the High Council and extracted your friend from her timestream right before her death._ he said. _At least now you have your three humans and your granddaughter to keep you in check._ The Doctor didn't reply, both of them knowing that he was right.

The Master and Ashad continued to stare at each other until Ashad suddenly clutched his head and roared with pain. The Doctor and the Master turned around to see Susan, sending a strong telepathic attack into the temporarily distracted Ashad's mind. The two of them rushed over and held her in support. The attack stopped and Susan put her arms around their shoulders to keep herself steady.

"Did you two forget that we're in the Matrix chamber?" she asked.

"No, we didn't." The Doctor replied. "Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine," Susan replied. "It's only the second time I've done this."

"Both times you've used Time Lord technology to amplify it." The Master said. 

The Doctor, the Master and Susan then glared at Ashad. At the side, the group of humans had no idea what was going on. Graham, Yaz and Ryan had seen the Doctor angry more recently - with the Master, the Skithra Queen, the Lone Cyberman. But not like this.

She was pissed.

The Master glanced sideways at her.

Get it out of your system, dear. he said. I'll keep an eye on Susan.

Without looking at him, the Doctor strode forwards angrily. The Master put his arms around Susan in a defensive manner as they watched. Ashad made to grab the Doctor, but she ducked and dodged before throwing him to the ground and pummelling him even more angrily than the Master had done. Like him, she was also yelling in Gallifreyan. Susan glanced at Graham, Yaz and Ryan, who had backed away, then at the Master.

"I'm guessing they haven't seen her this angry before?" she asked. The Master looked at them then at her.

"No, they haven't," he said. "You?"

"Once, after the second Dalek invasion. Grandfather absolutely lost it at the Monk." The Master nodded in understanding. "Grandfather also was considering extracting his friend Lucie from her timestream right before her death, but I convinced him otherwise." The Master stared at her for a moment then laughed.

"Well, you might want to ask her about Clara Oswald," he said.

"Oh God, did they extract Clara from her timestream before her death?" Susan asked.

"Yep." The Master replied, nodding. Susan groaned. "He didn't have anyone there to stop him. That's the difference. When the Doctor doesn't have someone there, they go off the rails." The two of them looked back at the Doctor.

"We should probably stop her," Susan said.

"I agree," he said. Ashad was lying unconscious on the floor. The Doctor had now grabbed a metal pipe from...somewhere...and, in good old fashioned form, was hitting him with it. "Doctor!"

"Grandmother!" The Master grabbed the metal pipe, causing the Doctor to look at him. 

"I think he's dead, Doctor." The Master told her. She continued to look at him silently. Susan put her arms around the Doctor's waist and the Doctor instinctively hugged her closer while the Master took the metal pipe out of her hands. 

"Uh, Doc?" Graham asked. The Doctor looked at him, then followed his finger to where he was pointing at the now-dead Ashad. A silvery substance emerged from Ashad and hovered in the air.

"The Cyberium." The Doctor and the Master said, moving in front of Susan. The Cyberium had already been drawn to the Doctor in 1816, and now she was here along with the Master and Susan.

"What is that?" Susan asked.

"An AI which contains all of the knowledge and future history of all Cybermen." The Master replied. He was studying it with curiosity. "Well, aren't you pretty? And fast. You made your exit very swiftly there. Worried, were you? I'm surprised that the Doctor beating him up with a metal pipe didn't cause the Death Particle to activate."

"The Death Particle?" asked Susan.

"A single particle created by the Cyberium that, when activated, is capable of destroying all organic life on a planet." The Doctor explained. "Master, step away from the Cyberium."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because if it takes you over, we're all screwed." He laughed.

"Doctor, the only thing you and I are concerned about right now is making sure that the Cyberium doesn't take over Susan with her strong telepathy." He looked at Susan before she could protest. "You are perfectly capable of looking after yourself, but all of Cyber knowledge inside the mind of a strong telepath? No. Just...no." He turned back to the Cyberium. "I request an alliance. I deserve to be your business partner because I have performed well in all tasks. I ransacked the Matrix of the Time Lords, distilled all the knowledge, all the experiences, all the discoveries, into these brains up here." He tapped his temples. "All the Cyber knowledge, all the Time Lord knowledge. Put it together, what do you get? Absolute supremacy in the universe. Choose me." The Cyberium entered the Master. The Doctor moved towards him but he gestured for her to stay back. "Wow, that was quick." He spread his arms out and laughed. "Whoa! Woohoo! At least buy me...dinner!"

Eventually, the Cyberium settled in his body and the Master bent over, breathing heavily. Susan cautiously moved forward.

"Uncle?" she asked. He looked up at her and she could sense the Cyberium moving in his mind. 

"Arkytior," he said, smiling. She hugged him. He hugged her back. 

However, he kept his psychic barriers up so that her telepathy didn't pick up the Cyberium. She knew exactly what he was doing and sent him a telepathic message of annoyance and she was more in control of her telepathy now than when she was younger. He sent back a message of acknowledgement and pulled back out of the hug, cupping her face in his hands.

The Doctor, meanwhile, had walked over to Ashad's body and was scanning the Death Particle in his chest with her sonic screwdriver. The Master and Susan joined her, crouching down either side of her. Behind them, the group of humans came up and watched.

"So, that's a bomb?" asked Graham.

"Yep." The Doctor replied, a bit too casually. 

"Why are you always so calm when there's a bomb?" he asked.

"I'm used to it, that's why," she replied. 

"What are we going to do about the other Cybermen?" Ravio asked. The Doctor looked up at her and swore in Gallifreyan.

"I forgot about them," she said.

"Doctor, you just told Ashad to take his Cybermen and his warship and go off-planet." The Master said.

"Shut up," she said. "You're the one with all of the Cyber and Time Lord knowledge in your head! You must have some idea of what to do with this."

"Apart from using it to destroy Gallifrey completely?" he asked. "Don't look at me like that, Doctor. You're the one who destroyed your own planet during the Time War."

"You did what?" Yaz asked. The Doctor ignored her.

"And then I rewrote my own timeline so that it wasn't destroyed," she said.

"Grandmother!" The Doctor ignored her as well and went back to examining the Death Particle.

"Oh, that's a sore subject for you, is it?" The Master asked. "And here you are being hypocritical going off at me for destroying Gallifrey."

"When I saved Gallifrey, I still thought that the Time Lords were worth saving," she said. "After the confessional dial, I know that they deserved to be wiped out."

"That doesn't explain why you were angry at me for destroying Gallifrey."

"Shut up."

"Grandmother, if you're going to have a personal crisis again, you know I'm here," said Susan, putting her hand on top of the Doctor's. The Doctor looked up at her and held her hand, squeezing it affectionately. Her anger towards the Time Lords melted away and was replaced with a protectiveness for her granddaughter.

"I just want to keep you safe." The Doctor whispered.

"I know, Grandmother," replied Susan. Their foreheads touched each other and they forgot everyone else in the room, at least until the Master cleared his throat.

"As much as the two of you clearly need this family reunion, the other Cybermen are on their way here," he said. They looked at him. "I have a plan." He stood up, followed by the Doctor and Susan, took his TCE out of his jacket and shrunk Ashad then bent down and picked him up. He stood up again and held up the miniaturised Cyberman. "My TARDIS is nearby. I'll set off the Death Particle and let the planet and the Cybermen explode and take all of you to your TARDIS, Doctor. Then you can take the humans back to Earth." Everyone looked at him, then the Doctor moved forward and kissed him.

"Thank you," she said. "I still hate you, though."

"I hate you too," he said, smiling. Then the smile was replaced with a more serious expression as he indicated where his TARDIS was and gestured for the humans to go in. "All of you, through here, now!" Graham, Yaz and Ryan were hesitant to go inside his TARDIS. "It's either staying on a soon to be destroyed planet with Cybermen or go back to 21st century Earth." They headed into the TARDIS, followed by Ravio, Ethan, Yedlarmi and Ko Sharmus. "Doctor, Susan." The two of them looked at each other then back at him.

"We'll stay with you, Uncle," Susan said. "While you set off the Death Particle." He looked at her.

"I'm surprised that you're willing to let me destroy your home planet," he said, gently. She shrugged.

"Earth is more of a home for me than Gallifrey ever was," she replied. The Doctor put her arm around her and the Master nodded in understanding

The Master, the Doctor and Susan stood in the Matrix chamber, waiting for the Cybermen, close enough to the Master's TARDIS so that they were able to get away quickly. Eventually, they heard the same metallic marching sound starting up and the Cybermen entered the room. The Master held up the bomb.

"Stop right there!" he exclaimed. "I have in my hand a bomb powerful enough to destroy this entire planet! One move from you and BOOM!"

"You would destroy yourselves as well." The lead Cyberman said. The Doctor and the Master laughed.

"I'm the Doctor, this is the Master," she said. "You've probably heard of us."

"Our records show that you are enemies."

"You're enemies of ours. What's that saying the humans have? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You're more of an enemy to me than he is."

"Thanks." The Master said.

"No problem." The Doctor replied, then continued talking to the Cybermen. "You know of us. You know that he at least would be more than willing to set off the Death Particle. And do you really think we wouldn't have a way out?" 

"As the more pacifistic of the three of us, I suggest you listen to them," Susan said. "Besides, this is the planet we grew up on. We have the advantage here." 

"That is also true." The Master agreed. 

_You both forgot about that, didn't you?_ Susan asked them.

 _Well, I'm not even from here!_ The Doctor replied. _And I was a bit preoccupied with stuff._

 _More like having an identity crisis._ The Master said.

 _So were you!_ The Doctor said.

 _Don't start._ Susan said, wondering when she became the adult in the trio despite being the youngest. The Doctor and the Master nodded at her before turning back to the Cybermen.

"Last warning." The Master told them.

" _You are bluffing._ " The Cyberman said. The Master sighed.

"I was afraid you'd say that," he said. He then threw the bomb into the centre of the room before gesturing for the Doctor and Susan to run to his TARDIS, which they did. He followed and, once they were all in the TARDIS, the Doctor used her sonic screwdriver to set off the bomb.

"We need to get out of here!" she exclaimed.

"I know!" he replied, setting the controls for Sheffield, 2020.

"Hang on!" Ryan said. "How do you know where we live?" The Master looked up.

"Doctor, why are your pets always this dumb?" he asked. 

"They are not dumb!" The Doctor and Susan argued back. 

"Ryan, one of you must have mentioned it to him when he was pretending to be O." The Doctor said.

* * *

**Sheffield, 2020**

The Master's TARDIS' working chameleon circuit meant that when they landed in Sheffield, it landed as a house. Ravio stepped out of the door, closely followed by Ethan, Yedlarmi, Ko Sharmus, Graham, Yaz and Ryan.

"This is Earth," she said. "Oh. We're on Earth." She and the other three future humans looked around in amazement. 

"We're home," Yaz said. She, Graham and Ryan were visibly relieved. She turned to the Master, who was leaning against the doorway with Susan and the Doctor next to him. "Thank you." He nodded, then she looked at the Doctor. "What happens to you?"

"Oh, I'll be fine." The Doctor replied, smiling. She was lying again and she knew that Susan and the Master knew that, as did her three companions. "You should stay here. See your family and friends. Live great lives." She headed back inside the TARDIS, followed by the Master and Susan, and the humans watched as the TARDIS dematerialised.

* * *

**The Doctor's TARDIS**

The Master's TARDIS, disguised as a hut again, landed inside the Doctor's TARDIS. As soon as the Doctor stepped out of his, her TARDIS lit up.

"Thanks. Home sweet home," she said. The TARDIS beeped in greeting as Susan stepped out and then in annoyance when the Master stepped out.

"It's good to see you too, old girl!" Susan greeted her, smiling. "I love the redecoration."

 _Thank you!_ The TARDIS replied.

"Don't worry about the Master." The Doctor said. "We've formed a temporary truce." Both TARDISes beeped for a few minutes before proclaiming that they had also formed a temporary truce. "Brilliant!"

_Where are Team TARDIS?_

"We used the Master's TARDIS to take them back home. Don't get jealous. I told them to stay at home. I need to sort some things out. Maybe just need a moment." She leant against the console, staring into the distance. Susan and the Master standing either side of her.

All of a sudden, an alarm blared. In front of them, three Judoon teleported into the TARDIS.

"What?" The Doctor and Susan asked.

"I thought nothing could get into the TARDIS?" Susan asked, quietly.

"Sometimes they do." The Doctor replied, quietly.

"Judoon Cold Case Unit." The lead Judoon said. "Fugitive, the Doctor. Sentence, whole of life imprisonment, maximum security facility."

There were three flashes and the Doctor and Susan saw three miniature Judoon on the floor. They looked to the side where the Master was lowering the TCE.

"Uncle!" Susan exclaimed. "Why did you do that?" The Master turned to them and shrugged. 

"You don't think that I would just let the Judoon arrest the Doctor, do you?"

"I appreciate the gesture, but you just shrunk the Judoon!" The Doctor exclaimed. "That's going to make more come after me!"

"Great. Something to distract you from your identity crisis," he replied. 

"You mean you're staying with me?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," he said, nodding. "After all, I am responsible for your identity crisis." The Doctor and Susan looked at him in surprise. "You heard me. I'm not going to repeat it."

"I'm also staying with you, Grandmother," Susan said. The Doctor looked at her. "It's like you said in the past, you need someone to keep you in check. Besides, if I leave the two of you alone together then who knows what will happen." The TARDIS beeped in agreement.

"Ok, you have a point there." The Doctor agreed. She sighed and moved to the console, then grinned. "Right. Let's get a shift on."


End file.
